Oral Answers to Questions

Vicky Foxcroft Excerpts

Monday 27th February 2023 Commons Chamber

[Nick Gibb]

The accreditation of teacher training providers resulted in 179 very high-quality teacher training providers being accredited. A number failed the accreditation, but we want to ensure consistency of teacher training in our system. In terms of teacher recruitment, there have been challenges with secondary education teacher recruitment this year post covid. Recruitment is a problem right across the economy, not just in teaching, but prior to the covid pandemic we were recruiting near to our targets, and in primary education we exceeded those targets.

[Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham, Deptford) (Lab)]

11. What steps she is taking to improve support for children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families.

[Dr Kieran Mullan (Crewe and Nantwich) (Con)]

12. What steps she is taking to improve the provision of education for students with special educational needs and disabilities.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Claire Coutinho)]

This is an area that the Secretary of State, given her former role in the Department of Health and Social Care, and I, as a former Minister for disabled people, take seriously. Getting our educational offer right for children with special educational needs and disabilities is hugely important, and I will be responding to the SEND and alternative provision Green Paper within the next week.

[Vicky Foxcroft]

At my surgery, I met a constituent who is a teacher at a SEND school. She broke down in tears as she told me how they are struggling to support their pupils because their budgets are stretched to breaking point. In Lewisham, increased need is costing £5 million a year more than the council’s SEND budget. When next week—if I heard that right—will the Government finally follow up on their Green Paper and publish their plans to fix this mess? Those vulnerable children and their families need proper support.